Locker latch



Sept. 24, 1929. s. s. FRENCH 1,729,039

LOCKER LATCH Filed May 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gme'ntoz r1 1 GIurley 6, French Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIRLEY S. FRENCH, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERGER MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO LOCKER LATCH Application filed May 26, 1928.

This invention has for its object the provision of a latching mechanism for a locker, which will be simple in operation, of sturdy construction, permit of easy assembly, and present withal a neat and attractive appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door for a locker having a novel tubular formation at the edge thereof, which functions not only to reinforce the door, but at the same time, serves to enclose and conceal a latching bar, and to conceal the connection between the latching bar and the door handle which is adapted to be directly connected thereto.

In the patent to Sturm and Caldwell, No. 1,671,328, there is described a latching mechanism for a locker in which a latching bar is enclosed in a tubular housing or reinforcement at the edge of the door, the bar being positively forced into latching position by means of especially designed hooks or keepers which enter the housing and engage slots in the latching bar. A handle is secured directly to the latching bar, and this handle serves to support the bar in operative position in the housing when the door is open. This construction has the disadvantage, that should the handle become accidently disengaged from the bar, the bar drops out of the hoiising, and is likely to be injured, and it is also necessary to reassemble the bar and handle before the door can be closed.

In accordance with the present invention, the bar is provided with novel means which enable it to be positively moved into latching position when the door is closed, in the same manner as the latching bar described in the aforesaid patent of Sturm and Caldwell, and in addition, these means serve to support the bar in operative position in the housing when the door is ajar or open, regardless of whether or not the handle is secured thereto.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent in the course of the following description of one embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a locker in Serial No. 280 847.

which is embodiedthe novel features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the tubular reinforcement and the latching bar, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the door and adjacent portions of the locker, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of a portion of the tubular reinforcement, a portion of the latching bar, and a portion of the door frame, showing the relation of these parts to each other, and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the latching pins.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the locker includes a sheet-metal door frame 1, and a door 2 hinged thereon. The door 2 is formed at one of its side edges with a tubular housing or reinforcement consisting of two spaced box-flanges 3 and 4, each of which includes inner legs 5 and outer legs 6, and an intervening connecting web 7, spaced from the rear face of the door. The boxfianges and intervening connecting web thus enclose a space of channel cross-section. The leg 6 of the box-flange 3 may be spot welded or otherwise secured to the rear face of the door, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Vertically spaced slots 8 are provided in the door, adj acent the connecting Web 7. The tubular housing is closed at the top by a flange 9, and is left open at the bottom to facilitate insertion and removal of a latching bar 10.

The latching bar 10 is of channel crosssection having a web 11, and spaced flanges 12 and 13, terminating in spacing flanges 14. The web 11 is provided with vertically spaced slots 15 for the reception of the tcnons 16 of a handle 17, and has secured thereto, a fiat retaining spring 18, which serves a purpose to be presently disclosed. The flanges 12 and 13 of the latching bar are provided respectively with vertically spaced sets of holes 19 and 20, which serve to receive latching pins 21 and other pins 22 which serve a purpose to be presently described. The inner legs 5 of the box-flanges 3 and 4 are provided with elongated slots 23 in which the pins 21 and 22 slide when the latching bar is in operative position (see Fig. 2). The outer leg 6 of boxflange 3 is provided with spaced holes 24 through which the pins 21 and 22 are entered when the various parts of the latching mechanism are assembled.

The pins 21 and are slotted longitudinally as at 25, to provide the beveled prong ends 26, which are united to the body portion of each pin by means of a neck portion 27 of reduced diameter.

The latching mechanism also includes books or keepers 28, mounted on the door frame 1. Each of these keepers is formed with an upwardly sloping edge 29, a down- 'ardly sloping edge 30 ot considerably greater length than the edge 29, and a seat 251.

The latching mechanism and the handle are assembled on the door in the following manner:

The latching bar 10 is inserted through the opening at the bottom of the tubular housing, and pushed up into the housing until the slots in the web of the bar are opposite the slots 8 in the door. The tenons 16 ot' the handle 17 are then caused to enter the slots 8 and 15,

and the latching bar is then permitted to drop to the position shown in Fig. 2, the web oi the bar engaging behind the tenons. The upper end of the spring 18, in this position. substan tially abuts the lower end of the upper tenon 1b, and the latching bar thereby securely held in operative position.

The pins 21 and 22 are then entered through the holes 2 1, and into the slots 23, and holes 19 and 20, so that they occupy the position shown in Fig. 3. The holes 20 are slightly smaller in diameter than the holes 19, and the beveled prong ends 526 of the pins are slightly compressed when they enter these holes. \Vhen the prong ends of the pins have passed through the holes 20, the compression is relieved, and the pins are securely retained in place. In the present embodiment of the invention, three latching pins are employed, but their number may be varied withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 2, 3, and 4. that when the door is closed. the pins 21 will ride up over the upwardly sloping edges 29 of the keepers 28 until the uppermost point of these edges is reached. The pins 22 will then begin to contact with the downwardly sloping edges 30 of the keepers, and the pins 21 will be positively forced to move down into the seats 31. In this manner, the locker door is effectively shut or latched regardless of how small or great a force is used to effect the latching.

It will also be noted that the pins 22 in their lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 2, abut the lower ends of the slots 23 in the legs 5 of the box-flanges 3 and 4. and thereby prevent the latching bar from falling out of the housing in the event that the handle should become disengaged from the bar.

Claims:

1. In a locker door, a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door and enclosing a space of channel cross-section, and a latching bar disposed in said space.

2. In a locker door, a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door and enclosing a space of channel cross-section, and a latching bar of channel cross-section disposed in said space.

3. In a locker door, a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door and enclosing a space of channel cross-section, and a latching bar of channel cross-section disposed in said space, the flanges of the bar being disposed in the flanges of said space.

4. In a locker door, a tubular reinforcement extending along one edge of the door and enclosing a space of channel cross-section, and a latching bar of channel cross-section disposed in said space and provided with latching pins extending through the flanges of said bar and between the flanges of said space.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SHIRLEY S. FRENCH.

lOS 

